Feb 12, 2009

VOLUME 52, ISSUE 6

Pg. 8

Sophomore hit by car near school

Student recovering in hospital

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2009

Pg. 6

Rainwater takes rein of track and field

Star runner brings experience

CASTRO VALLEY, CA 94546

Love is in the air at CVHS

Pg. 4

Olympidate competition successful

Budget crunch leads to district spending freeze Limits on number of subs, conferences, new textbooks

By Irene Liang These police sketches depict the men who attacked two CVHS students.

Robbers assault soccer players

By Lisa Carmarck Staff Writer

Two young men assaulted and robbed CVHS juniors Jose Chavez and Edgar Caro on Thursday, Jan. 29 at around 2:00 p.m. near the school on Lux Avenue.

Chavez and Caro were walking to get their soccer gear from Chavez’s car when two subjects, a white male and a black male, got out of their car and confronted them, according to a sheriff’s report.

One of the assailants reportedly grabbed Caro by his shirt and demanded, “Give me your stuff.” The other suspect approached Chavez and proceeded to pistol-whip him with

a gray semi-automatic pistol, causing injuries to the head and a three-inch laceration over his right eye.

Caro also received a small laceration to his cheek and hits to the face.

The assailants managed to take Caro’s cell phone and Chavez’s iPod before they escaped in a black Honda Civic.

Sheriff’s officers rushed to the area but the attackers escaped.

The two were transported to Kaiser Hospital. Chavez received 17 stitches.

The two victims spent four hours giving descriptions of their assailants to a sketch artist for a drawing.

The white male was described as 18-19 years old, between 5’10” and 6’0”, 180-190 pounds, and was wearing a white T-shirt.

The black male was described as 18-19 years old, 6’0”, 160170 pounds, and wearing a red Cincinnati Reds hat, baggy blue jeans and a baggy T-shirt.

Sheriff’s officers are following several leads.

Caro and Chavez, though shaken up, took some valuable lessons from this incident.

“I didn’t think it could happen to me, but it did,” said Chavez to his classmates.

“Be safe, don’t carry valuables out in the open, [and] stay with groups of friends,” Caro advised other students as how to avoid the situation in the future.

Sheriff’s Deputy Tim Vales regretted the incident.

“Just make sure to be aware of your surroundings. Bad things do happen, even in Castro Valley,” he said.

Brewer dismissed from coaching after 26 years

By Erin Mundy Copy Editor

Peter Brewer, CVHS English teacher and track and cross country coach of 26 years, was recently relieved of his coaching duties.

“I was unable to reach agreement [with administration] on a few matters, and as a result I was dismissed,” explained Brewer.

Although there has been much speculation as to why Brewer was dismissed as head coach, he did not disclose any specific details.

Administrators have declined to comment, calling it a “personnel issue” which they are not permitted to discuss.

Since his first year as head coach in 1986, Brewer has led teams in all six divisions of cross country to 99 HAAL championships, four divisions of track and field to 43 league championships, and won five NCS champion-

ships overall.

Brewer first became involved with CVHS cross country and track to stop smoking cigarettes by running with the team. After nearly three decades, he has contributed more than just championship titles and trophies.

Brewer has been involved in all aspects of both sports programs, promoting the sport and publishing week-by-week rankings before the Internet was around to do so. As well as maintaining records, Brewer sits on the track management committees for both NCS and state level.

An extremely successful 2008 season has left some wondering if Brewer was dismissed in the peak of his coaching career.

“We’ve never had any better teams than we do now,” said Brewer.

As a result of his dismissal, Brewer has been forced to satisfy his “coaching itch” elsewhere as assistant track coach at North-

gate High in Concord, where his son attends as a sophomore and pole vaulter. However far his itch takes him, Brewer says his coaching heart will always be green and gold.

“It’s been exciting seeing the program grow. I’ve been fortunate to have great athletes, supportive parents, and dedicated assistant coaches,” said Brewer.

Despite Brewer ’s acceptance of this decision, many are feeling that this was not the right choice.

A recent string of emails and phone calls have been made by parents of athletes hoping to convince the school to restore Brewer’s position as coach.

“With Brewer’s dismissal, it isn’t just Castro Valley athletes who are losing out. The entire HAAL area will suffer from the decision made by the Castro Valley administration,” wrote Michael Bower in a sports column for the The Daily Review.

City Editor

In light of the recent state budget crisis, which is currently estimated to reach a deficit of $40 billion over the next 18 months, CVUSD estimates that the cuts proposed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger will add up to $650 per student, or a total loss of $5.7 million for the district. To remain fiscally stable, the district has implemented a spending freeze.

According to a newsletter issued by Superintendent Jim Fitzpatrick on Jan. 13 to CVUSD staff members, the spending freeze will result in the district only purchasing provisions that maintain the health and safety of campuses and legal requirements, such as on-going contracts, as well as basic school supplies and any other items the district deems to be of urgent necessity.

What the district will not be spending on, for instance, are substitutes for secretaries, custodians, and campus patrollers.

Staff development days and

conferences for teachers will also be fewer as a result of this spending freeze.

Other expenses have already been cut for CVHS, such as adopting new English textbooks.

Additional classes, such as a recording class and intermediate guitar for the next school year, have also been taken off the course schedule.

CVUSD, which has remained fiscally conservative since a budget crisis in the early 1990s that resulted in many staff members being pink-slipped, is taking this spending freeze as a proactive precaution.

“The district thought that we would be able to get through the next two years with the money that is in the reserves, but the proposed cuts have gotten deeper,” said Alvarez regarding the district’s estimate of how long CVUSD would last with the reserves.

“A reduction of this magnitude will be devastating to education in California,” wrote Fitzpatrick in the memo to teachers and staff members.

According to a report published in californiaprogressreport.com, the Census Bureau ranked California, the state with the largest population,

DISTRICT: Page 8

Prop. 8 breaks newlyweds’ hearts

By Malena Bell Editor-in-Chief

Surrounded by family, friends, and colleagues, science teacher Melissa Kindelspire and art teacher Jo Sutton took their marriage vows on Oct. 4, 2008. They were married during a cruise on the bay by the woman who was captain to their cruise boat.

Like many weddings, it had its mishaps. Passengers had bouts of seasickness, a card blew into the bay, and the cake nearly toppled when the boat ride got bumpy.

“We both messed up our vows because we were nervous the whole time,” added Sutton.

But these incidents were trivial compared to the political setback the newlyweds faced, which came exactly one month later when California voters passed Proposition 8, effectively banning

gay marriage in the state.

“I felt like somebody had punched me in the gut,” said Sutton. Kindelspire said she felt “completely deflated, sad, and angry.”

“I did not want to go to school the next day,” said Kindelspire.

“Everybody wanted to talk about it and I didn’t want to talk about it at all.” Despite her feeling of defeat, she also felt the need to be strong for the students that came to her about it.

Sutton said the day was rough for her too; she found it difficult to even look her students in the eyes.

“It was devastating,” said Patricia Magda, longtime CVHS English teacher and now a curriculum coordinator, who married her partner of 23 years while it was legal. She said that early

PROP 8: Page 7

So long and thanks, Coach Brewer Editorial: We at The Olympian are sorry to see Peter Brewer, cross country and track coach for 26 years, leave the realm of CVHS sports.

Looking back, there can be no doubt that Brewer has done much for the athletic program.

The countless trophies and awards in his room are testament to his accomplishments as a coach.

Boys and girls cross country and track teams have won championship after championship under Brewer’s guidance.

Their wins honor Brewer in the same way the behavior of children honors their parents.

Brewer’s greatest accomplishment lies not in the number of championships and awards he and his teams have won, but in the dedication he has for his sport and the rapport he has with his team.

When asked a question about any of his athletes, he would always know the answer. Not only did he have all his athletes’ information in his head, Brewer also took the time to create weekly blurbs that included meet results and highlights.

Many of his athletes attest that his training was demanding and tiring, his eye sharp in catching slothful runners, and his tongue even sharper in reprimanding those runners.

Furthermore, he has taken cross country kids running during many summer afternoons, held morning workouts, hosted and attended weekend meets, and participated in coaching clinics. Brewer obviously loved the sport, as shown by the innumerable number of days he worked even when the school was closed. Last spring, The Oakland Tribune named him boys track coach of the year.

Although we believe that Matt Rainwater will be a good coach, we still regret Brewer’s departure. Fortunately, he will still be around as an English teacher.

We at The Olympian salute Brewer for a job well done.

Brewer: ‘He grew on me’

By Becky Chao Staff Writer

He lingered outside my econ class, waiting for teacher and new head track coach Matt Rainwater to come out and talk about the packet of papers he was holding. Peter Brewer looked graver than I had ever seen him. I had a sinking feeling their conversation would be about track team management.

A few hours later, I was watching the sunset while stretching on a gate after a short jog. I mulled over the image of grim-looking Coach Brewer, standing on the sidelines quietly instead of being the center of attention and shouting repetitive advice to runners passing by.

There was something very wrong with that first picture.

This man was born to boss lazy teenagers around and to relegate seemingly useless facts to the general population. He remembers everything, and knows something about every subject.

I’ve heard several English teachers describe him as the smartest man they know, though I suspect this might be a running joke between them. At all of the cross country and track team banquets, Brewer needs no prepared notes to describe each athlete and his or her season – all sixty or seventy of them. That is amazing.

Despite the fact that I’ve never had Brewer for a class before, he is easily one of my favorite teachers here. For those who know him, he is without doubt one of the most memorable.

I began running as a sophomore.

I was damn slow. I never seriously ran before joining the cross country team – nay, I probably never exercised before, at least not the way Brewer expected us to. The man just knows if you’re not giving all of your effort.

Several weeks into the season, I walked up the hill leading to Canyon Middle School, since I managed to convince myself that I was too tired to continue running.

Howard Whang / Photo Editor

Peter Brewer has coached the track and cross country teams for the past 26 years.

Imagine my surprise when Brewer radiated disgust and coldly told me to go back to the high school after I admitted my lethargy. I felt ashamed. I wanted to quit this stupid sport on the spot. There are definitely people out there who can’t handle Brewer’s way of coaching, and I wasn’t sure at first if I could stand it.

But he grew on me. If not especially sensitive, Brewer makes an unbelievably awesome coach. He has an insane devotion to the sport, spending much more time on it than what is necessary. He strikes fear into the hearts of slothful runners everywhere, yet those athletes often have a certain fondness for him.

He is blunt and honest; he doesn’t dodge what he feels he needs to say and just tells you the way he sees things. It’s usually a joy to speak with him, unless of course you obviously underperformed in a race or just joined the soccer team.

Though Brewer’s practices were rarely easy, I somehow got to the end of three years of running. He made things difficult by insisting for more sweat and blood, but team practices were made fun with such activities as safety tape

jogs and sweet watermelon after workouts.

I still continue to run in my spare time; though I’m sure Brewer would find that hard to believe. Don’t worry; I likely won’t swing my arms correctly until he ends up six feet under.

But Brewer pounded the aspects of integrity and dedication into us, and those things are more difficult to forget.

I will miss the sight of Brewer throwing whatever is in his hands to the ground before yelling “GOD DAMN IT!” I will miss the sound of Brewer running – like a locomotive that was half-crushed by a collision only to be resurrected by half a case of plungers.

I will miss Brewer’s self-belittling jokes, often involving his apparent fondness for beer.

Many of the runners over the last quarter of a century have undoubtedly been influenced by Brewer, his dead-on advice, and his crazy mannerisms. No doubt few of us will be able to forget the echo of Brewer’s booming voice telling us “Running – of course it hurts!” even long after our shin splints fade.

Malena's Minute Obama lives up to campaign promises

By Malena Bell Editor-in-Chief

One of the biggest questions since Election Day has been whether or not President Barack Obama will be able to keep the promises he made during his campaign. I’ve maintained high hopes that he will and have so far been impressed by Obama’s follow-through.

His first executive orders set a precedent for the ideals America will uphold on the international level. By closing Guantanamo, secret CIA prisons, and banning torture methods such as waterboarding, Obama has shown that America can and will uphold its ideals while taking an aggressive stance on terrorism.

This is the most important step America can take to regain its international reputation.

By conducting an interview with Al-Arabiya, Obama is also showing that America is willing to reach out to improve relations with Muslim nations.

This sharply contrasts Bush’s policies, which isolated Muslim nations. This was detrimental to the aim of improving relations and creating allie.

Reversing the “gag rule” on abortion funding also contrasts

Bush policies. Allowing federal funds to go to groups such as the UN Population Fund, which provides reproductive health services, including abortions, will help improve health and opportunities for women around the world.

While Obama has tackled many controversial issues, he has also addressed bipartisan ones like transparency in government. Putting stricter limits on lobbyists and allowing more public disclosure will keep the government not only “of the people” and “by the people,” but also “for the people.”

Obama has promised to eliminate the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy on homosexuals. The policy is a civil rights travesty and about 75 percent of Americans support its elimination.

Obama also wants the Environmental Protection Agency to reconsider California’s request to enact stricter environmental standards on automobiles. In a strange twist of ideals, the Republicans oppose this act of federalism, claiming that it will further damage an already suffering industry.

And of course, the controversial stimulus package is making its way through Congress. Reminiscent of the New Deal, it would help our fallen economy.

I am proud that Obama is living up to his promises and taking actions to restore our great nation.

The Olympian is a publication of the Journalism Class, Castro Valley High School, 19400 Santa Maria Ave., Castro Valley, CA 94546. © 2009 Editor-In-Chief...............................................................Malena Bell City Editor.......................................................................Irene Liang News Editor......................................................................Eva Poon Opinion Editor..............................................................Alicia Harger Feature Editor.................................................................Frank Chao Sports Editor.........................................................Alexandra Gomes Copy Editors...................................................................Erin Mundy Joseph Wan Photo Editor..............................................................Howard Whang Business Managers............................................................Isabel Chi Lindsay Oda Staff Writers: David Ahn, Lisa Carmack, Sophiana Carrell, Becky Chao, Moises Fonseca, Sarah Gilchriese, Lawrence Ham, Brandon Lui, James Rose, Trevin Smith, Tracy Tope, Elizabeth Tran Advisor........................................................................Matt Johanson

I measured my teachers’ corruption

By Howard Whang Phot Editor

I find that teachers are very fond of giving out bad grades, smiling when students receive poor grades, smirking when students beg for a curve, and they enjoy seeing the students demoralized in general. But at this point I would like to direct my attention to one more thing: teacher corruption. The deep, comprehensive, completely unbiased, and perfectly fair survey I conducted during Finals Week revealed exactly how corrupt they are: During each Finals day, the first thing I did when I walked into each class was blurt out “Hey Mr./Ms./Dr.________, do you take bribes?” Often, they would smile, and then give their answer. Here’s the breakdown of what my teachers said: (to protect the anonymity of these horrible teachers, their responses are printed in no particular order.)

One of my teachers, when asked, responded with a slight grin, a small pause as if contemplating it, and then said “What kind of bribes?” Another answered with a blank “I don’t know,” which could be interpreted either way. The next chuckled a bit and then responded with, “Depends on how big it is.”

One teacher I asked on the day of the test shot me a crooked glance and simply went “Hmm…” This, therefore, could be interpreted either way.

However, on the Monday after we came back from finals and after the teacher handed back the final test grades, I found that my grade was pivoting on a borderline. So I went to him to beg for mercy and re-asked my question.

Smirking, he agreed to a hefty sum of $500,000. My startled look launched an explanation, in which the teacher explained that a bribe must be his annual salary times several years, as he realizes that he would instantly be fired for accepting bribes, and therefore needs the substantial amount in order to continue with life.

Of all my teachers, only one was completely uncorrupt, re-

LETTERS

To the Editor Editor, I just finished reading the Thursday, Jan. 22 copy of The Olympian and wanted to send you a letter commending you on a fine issue of local news. I also wanted to tell you how impressive it is how much news and campus events you manage to fill in just eight pages. Your stories

sponding immediately with a sharp “no” and a glance that said “What are you talking about?” One out of five, what happened to the justice and morality that America was supposed to stand for?

Perhaps this is something we as students might have to think about: just how good are our teachers anyways? Do the majority of teachers here promote blackmail, forcing poor innocent little kids to pay huge sums in order to receive passing grades?

This deep, comprehensive, completely unbiased and perfectly fair analysis concludes that the only possible reason for this is that teachers aren’t being paid enough to scrounge a living and desperately need more money in order to survive. So they go around and blackmail students for half a million dollars in exchange for an intangible object – ink on a paper shaped in the letter “A.” Since when did one piece of paper become so important?

So if a teacher has 150 students, and gets $500,000 from each of them, they can make $75 million a year! Did I say teachers were underpaid?

Well, under the capitalistic society of America, with corrupt CEOs walking around breathing money and flying in private jets asking for billions of dollars, this isn’t that bad in comparison.

And if this was legalized, imagine all the positive effects!

Students would be able to obtain better grades and pretend that they are smarter than they are.

The inflated ego would drive a student to strive for higher success. Students won’t freak out as much about finals. Teachers would stop complaining about their pay.

The world would be happier as rich students monopolize the “A” industry. Then, when the rich students grow up, they can fly around in private jets bribing Congress for billions of dollars!

Hey, if the US Government can throw around hundreds of billions of dollars in one sign of a pen, $75 million a year is nothing.

cover a wide variety of issues and are well written and fair.

Being on the beat in Castro Valley for the Forum, it’s good to know there’s another quality news source in town being produced by a talented team of writers, photographers, and reporters.

Robert Souza Reporter, Castro Valley Forum

Why I love my finals

By Frank Chao Feature Editor

Dang, I just love those darn finals! You get to cram everything you learned in six or seven classes in the past five months.

You also get to take six twohour tests in three days. It’s like an amusement park filled with cotton candy!

Teachers love it because they get very little work to do while the students have the time of their lives. Students absolutely love it because they get to pre-

pare for the tests that are just as cheerful as a Merry-Go-Round. A cheerful test that is worth 20% of your grade. What’s more fun than a memorizing marathon?

There is absolutely nothing wrong with finals. Right now, finals are a blast and absolutely help students. Doing something with educational value would be preposterous! Why would anyone do a lab or simulation or anything else that would benefit the student in the slightest way when you could take fun tests that you get to cram days and

days on end for? I mean, ask around. Everyone will agree that finals are perfect the way they are and will prefer it to something that could potentially benefit you.

Finals are a completely awesome experience that every student should experience multiple times in their lifetimes. Nothing in your life can match the joyful feelings a student experiences during finals. In this era of change, do schools really need to make changes to finals to make them potentially useful?

up, therefore paying the price for the actions of their children’s friends. I feel, oddly enough, that there is a responsible manner in which to TP. Why not volunteer the next morning to help clean up the mess you created? Your offer can save someone’s parents a huge, unnecessary hassle.

However, I feel there is a fine, yet strong line between a prank and an act of vandalism. Vandalism, in my opinion, is the obstruction of someone’s property.

Last month, my house got egged. Of course I was blamed because I’m the teenager of the house.

“Which one of your idiotic friends do you think did this?” asked my dad. I shrugged, knowing there was no way to find out unless someone admitted to it.

Coincidentally, my family had just paid for a new roof the past week. Two of what appeared to be four eggs thrown at my house

landed on our brand new rooftop. The other two eggs landed smack-dab in the front of my house. The yoke of an egg has the ability to strip the paint off houses. Needless to say, my parents weren’t too pleased.

Things always happen for a reason. And whether the prank is TP-ing or egging, kids do these things to convey emotions, usually flirtation or revenge.

So I’m wondering, when did our youth acquire such difficulty with communicating our feelings? Why can’t people simply go up to others and say, “Hey, I like you,” or “I feel that we’re not too good of friends because…?” If these words seem too difficult to speak in person, write a letter or an e-mail, or send them a text at least!

I suppose, until we learn to profess our sentiments verbally, houses will continue to be decorated with toiletries and dairy products.

Thoughts on toilet paper and eggs

By Sophiana Carrell Staff Writer

The first time I was introduced to “toilet papering” was when I was 12. I came out of my house one morning to see my neighbor pulling heaps of soggy toilet paper off his car, his roof, and the trees in his front yard. It struck me as a rather odd activity; why would anyone want to throw a bathroom product all over someone’s house? Was it supposed to be an extreme form of “house art?”

My neighbor had four teenage daughters and, judging by the expression on his face, it became apparent to me that TP-ing wasn’t a very nice thing to do, and even less enjoyable to clean up.

Being a teenager myself now, I agree that TP-ing can be a fun activity. Yet my main issue is that generally the parents are the ones who have to clean it

Love at the bowling alley?

Girls compete for sophomore’s heart on ‘Olympidate’

By Isabel Chi and Sarah Gilchriese Drum roll please! From door number one is contestant Dawna Barker! Dawna is a sophomore at CVHS and in her spare time Dawna likes to ride horses. Welcome, Dawna!

From door number two we have contestant Mackenzie Hughes! Mackenzie is called “Mac” by all who know her.

Welcome Mac! From door number three we have Jennifer Warren! Jennifer also has a nickname: “Jenn.” Jennifer is a junior, the only one we have on Olympidate today. Let’s see how she survives in a sea of sophomores.

And finally we have the star for today: Eric Nikssarian! Eric is a football player in the fall and plays baseball in the spring.

The first date activity was bowling. There’s nothing like a little friendly competition to make things interesting. Eric started off the evening with excellent skill, eventually winning the game. While one girl was bowling, the other two cozied up to Eric, making conversation.

Sports, movies, and siblings came up to break the ice. At the end, Eric won with Mac at a close second.

The first elimination arrived.

When asked who thought they would be eliminated Dawna

raised her hand right away. “I have a feeling I’m going home guys,” she confided to the girls.

Neither Jenn nor Mac felt that they would be eliminated.

“Mac, I’d like you to stay please,” said Eric. Then, “Jenn, I think you’re really interesting and I want to get to know you better.” Eric made his choice.

“Told you girls,” said Dawna. Dawna waved and walked away.

After they said goodbye to Dawna; Eric, Jenn, and Mac walked to the Ice Creamery.

There, the three shared curly fries and a Caesar salad along with small talk and giggling.

“He’s really smart and a sweetheart. It’s hard to find guys like that,” said Jenn after the meal of food and flirting.

The three were cold, and wanted a hot chocolate, so they decided to visit Starbucks.

Inside, Eric took aside Jenn to really get to know her, while Mac said, “I’m really enjoying the time I’m getting to spend with Eric because he’s a really nice guy.” She slowly sipped her vanilla tea in anticipation of getting her own alone time.

After ten minutes, Jenn and Mac switch, so Eric could make his final decision. Jenn sat down rosy cheeked and said, “I’d like to go on a date with him again,” blushing even more. She slowly waited out the ten minutes that Mac had to win Eric’s heart over.

After tea and private talks, it was time for the final elimination. Eric held a red rose. All three stood shivering, as the weather had gotten colder. Finally, Eric said that he has had a great time, and would like to give

After School Science Program a success

By Frank Chao Feature Editor

Huzzah for science! At least, that’s what those participating in the CVHS After School Science Program think.

The third meeting of the CVHS After School Science Program was on Jan. 14 and the students participating in the program learned about flow cytometry.

A guest speaker, Dr. Robert Hoffmann, lectured the participants on the subject. He brought in a see-through prototype, which is used to count cells by marking the different types of protons on the surface with antibodies and dyes.

The program is also planning to have a variety of other lab experiments in chemistry, biology, and physics. The teachers of the science department are currently

developing the list of labs. There is no funding for the program yet so the teachers must plan ahead for labs that do not use science class resources.

These labs are done once a month in room 768, but that will soon change. Science teacher Bertram Pinsky has plans of using a converted bathroom at the end of the old gym as the new lab room. The program is trying to get local high-tech companies in the area to give donations for the outfitting of the lab.

When asked about what gave him the idea, Pinsky replied, “I did this in high school and I loved it.” If Pinsky gets his way, this program will be here for years to come. In the meantime, the program is still trying to find grants.

The next meeting is on Feb. 12 at 3:50 p.m.

Free V-Day pick-up lines!

By Tim Wong and Brandon Lui Staff Writers The Olympian knows that if you’re single, it’s hard to introduce yourself to that attractive individual in a classroom environment. Being the kind, warm-hearted humanitarians we are, we’ve compiled a list of our favorite school-related pickup lines. So memorize them and try your luck. We guarantee they work 60 percent of the time, every time.

Science If I were an enzyme, I would be DNA helicase, so I could unzip your genes.

You’re so hot, you make my proteins denature.

You must be an acid and I must be litmus paper, because every time we meet I turn bright red.

I have mass, you have mass.

We’re naturally attracted.

Isabel Chi / Business Manager

Sophomore Mackenzie Hughes wins sophomore Eric Nikssarian’s heart in the Olympidate. his rose to the girl he connected most with.

“Mac,” Eric declared. Mac came forward, and accepted her rose as Jen stood off to the side, looking bewildered. The couple took a picture together, and then quickly hurried off indoors to

stay warm.

In the final interview Eric confessed, “There wasn’t as much chemistry with Jenn as with Mac.” He blushed and said, “Mac opened up and revealed her inner beauty to me.”

Math My love for you is like a concave up function because it’s always increasing.

I’m not being obtuse but you are acute.

Hey, what’s your sine? It must be pi over two because you’re the one.

You must be an isosceles triangle. Because you have nice legs.

History/ Geography Want to make the Cold War, hot?

I’ll be your secretary of the interior.

Are you from Tennessee?

Because you’re the only ten I see.

Random/ play on words I hurt my arm doing something masculine and my doctor said I should keep it elevated.

(Put arm over shoulders) Hey, let’s go behind a large rock and get a little boulder.

Hi, you make me wish I was half horse so I could be the centaur of your heart.

Um, excuse me. I seem to have lost my phone number.

Can I have yours?

Do you know karate? Cus’ your body’s kicking.

If you were a pirate, would you have your parrot on this shoulder? (Put arm on nearest shoulder) Or this shoulder?

(Put arm across shoulders to farthest shoulder) You must be a dictionary because you define me.

You must be a hole and I must be a shovel because I dig you.

CVHS students witness Obama’s inauguration

By James Rose Staff Writer

Carmelina Frasca

Visiting the US Supreme Court are CVHS students (in alphabetical order) Monica Ammerman, Samantha Barakat, Daniel Blacher, Amanda Chouinard, Michael Chow, Taylor Goldberg, Dustin Granger, Hillary Johnson, Harrison Lambert, Joshua Leines, Phillip Kim, Audrey Magwili, Ben MacDonald, Evan Mattes, Molly Ratto, Amir Salehzdeh, and Alexander Vlahos.

Twilight Club: The place to love vampires

By Alicia Harger

Opinion Editor

Vampires and werewolves abound, crazy murders threaten innocent citizens, and wild chases across continents are commonplace. Love triangles and backstabbing are routine. No, this isn’t the set of some Hollywood horror or action movie.

This is the Twilight Club, home to overly-obsessed teenage girls and die-hard Team Edward fans. Meeting on Wednesdays in the library, these girls come to swoon over their heartthrobs and discuss details so minute that only the most avid fan can catch them.

They meet to talk about the Twilight books and movie. The girls talk about their favorite parts and their least favorites.

The real question is why does Twilight stir such an addiction in teenage girls? When asked about it, club advisor Terri Bucklin said, “The books are so popular because they came out at the right time as far as what people are

looking for. Young adult females are a target audience for a lot of books and the love in the book is what everyone is looking for, what everyone wants.”

Freshman Lauren Taiclet, the club president, could be the most obsessed fan of all. “Obviously, I’ve got to love Edward, and how they build the relationship. I like how Edward is scared of being with Bella. Their struggles make their relationship more real,” said Taiclet.

The point of the club isn’t just to obsess over a book. The girls also come to discuss other things that they have read. They exchange books and share related works. “I really like to take something really popular and hear the girls’ opinions about it,” said Bucklin.

The club is trying to do some good too. They are organizing a read-a-thon to raise money for more library books. With the budget freeze threatening all school funds, this seems like a great way to keep the library afloat.

Seventeen CVHS students and their teacher observed President Barack Obama’s inauguration while on the Close Up trip to Washington D.C. They all got to share this once in a lifetime experience.

“When Obama came out of the Capitol, everyone went crazy,” said junior Amanda Chouinard.

The Close Up kids had to wake up around three in the morning.

The streets were packed full of people. The escalators were shut down in the subway, because of all of the weight.

“It was pitch black outside while walking down the street.

I held onto my friends for dear life,” said Chouinard.

The group had to sit down on the Mall half a mile away from the Capitol building for several hours. The temperature was freezing, and the crowds were in the millions. However,

it was well worth it to see this important event in the nation’s history.

“The energy was incredibly amazing with everyone seeing Obama,” said senior Dustin Granger.

The inauguration was not the only thing the students experienced while on the trip. It was jam-packed full of lifelong memories.

At the Smithsonian museum, they saw C-3PO from Star Wars and Dorothy’s ruby slippers from the Wizard of Oz. On Jan. 18, the group saw the “We Are One” concert at the Lincoln Memorial with stars such as Beyonce, U2, Usher, Bruce Springsteen, and Garth Brooks performing. On Tuesday evening, they went to an Inauguration Ball.

“It was really cool meeting all of the people up close,” said senior Samantha Barakat. “Anybody that has the opportunity to go should go, and you will not

regret it.”

In addition to all of the parties, the group met with Senator Barbara Boxer, saw the Arlington National Cemetery, and toured the Capitol.

While in the Senate gallery, the students saw Senator John McCain sitting down and Senator John Kerry giving a speech. The students also had a special tour of the Pentagon.

“It has huge hallways that are almost 200 feet long,” said Chouinard.

The Close Up trip has provided all of its travelers with everlasting memories.

“You should definitely go on Close Up. It’s not like the eighth grade trip,” said Chouinard.

“It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. I will never forget the sound of the flags waving at the inauguration, and the pride of being an American,” exclaimed government teacher and Close Up advisor Carmelina Frasca.

tering aroma of Chinese food.

The restaurant has small tables to dine in or food to takeout, but either way, the food is always hot and fresh. There is a row of hot and tasty food as you step into the restaurant. The restaurant has a couple of plants to obtain a casual and welcoming environment to eat.

The staff treats each customer with kindness and is very polite.

They also give great and useful advice when it comes to food.

Although this is a fast food restaurant, the building is nicely lightened; not too dark and not too bright.

My family and I each had a delicious plate of food. I had a

side of steamed rice, string beans, and nicely seasoned kung pao chicken. The kung pao chicken was delicious and was cooked along with crunchy peanuts and chile peppers. My mom had a side of zesty lemon chicken, broccoli beef, and shrimp fried rice. The shrimp in the fried rice turned out to be a full size shrimp instead of small tidbits of shrimp.

Tam’s Kitchen is a nice place for a quick dinner with friends or family. This restaurant is located in the small shopping center on Castro Valley Boulevard and San Miguel Avenue near Blockbusters. The address is 2966 Castro Valley Blvd.

Hungry? Go to Tam’s Kitchen

By Lawrence Ham Staff Writer

Do you like fast food? Or more specifically, do you like Chinese fast food? Well, then Tam’s Kitchen is the perfect place for you. Tam’s Kitchen is a great place to eat off- campus. It’s fast and tasty.

The service is fast. This place is great to eat for customers who don’t have much time on their hands. The inside is nicely decorated and there is the mouthwa-

Alicia Harger / Opinion Editor

Club members get together to discuss their passions for Twilight.

New coach, new era

By Moises Fonseca Staff Writer

Many students remember the Welcome Back Assembly in which social studies teacher Matt Rainwater and sophomore Solo Diomonde ran an enthusiastic race, which Rainwater won.

“He ran a smart race,” Rainwater said about his younger rival.

After dismissing the longserving Peter Brewer, the CVHS administration recently hired Rainwater to be the Trojans’ new track and field head coach.

“I want to improve the team in whatever ways it needs to be improved, and I want to keep our championship legacy,” said Rainwater.

Rainwater has a lot of experience in track and field. In fact he has been competing for 13 years.

While he was in high school and college, he was the captain of his team, he coached for the Southfields cross country team for one season, and he was a volunteer coach at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

Castro Valley track and field team is known as one of the best teams in NCS and Rainwater wants to keep the Trojans at the top.

Howard Whang/ Photo Editor

Arash Dehdari drives the ball between four Pirates.

Trojans beat Pirates 3-0

Howard Whang / Photo Editor

Matt Rainwater wants the track teams to “keep our championship legacy.”

“I expect them to work hard and to be dedicated. It will be nice to lead them this season,” said Rainwater after he was asked about his expectations for the team.

The school has announced no decision about a new head coach for the cross country program.

“We’ll know who will coach cross country when we get closer to the season,” said Rainwater.

By Isabel Chi

Business manager Castro Valley’s varsity soccer team won another game, 3-0, with Arash Dehdari scoring two goals and Jared KeysGomes scoring the last.

The boys have a great record with 11 league wins and two losses, only one game behind Bishop O’ Dowd for the HAAL title.

Rain poured down just a few moments before the game.

Fortunately the rain stopped instantaneously before the game starts. Was this a sign for the game to come? At first the

rain caused some problems. A few players slipped all over the field, causing multiple throw-ins from the opposing team.

Brandon Green attempted a goal ten minutes into the game from a cross from Brandon “Bucky” Shiluk. After this attempt by Green there was a foul against Castro Valley, resulting in an indirect kick.

Fortunately keeper Kurtis Louie saved the ball and prevented San Leandro from scoring. After that, a series of saves ensued: a spectacular chest block by Kevin Phillips and another blocked by a header from Green.

Then fifteen minutes to the end of the half, Arash Dehdari scored with a stunning scissor kick off a

cross from Ian Silverness. As if one goal wasn’t enough to get the CVHS fans out of their seats, Dehdari made another amazing goal on a break away, assisted by Shiluk.

The second half ended with a bang. Jared Keys-Gomes made the last goal: a brilliant header assisted by Green. As a ceremony Keys-Gomes did a back flip and was met with applause from the fans.

“We were a little thrown by the rain but we shook it off and played a great game,” said Andrew Wong.

The fans waiting out the rain got their money’s worth with this shutout Trojans win.

S up e r S a v v y Sp o r ts St a rs

Lindsay Oda / Business Manager

Jessica Woo, freshman

James Lau, sophomore

Sarah Dutchover, junior

Eric Chea, senior

Freshman Jessica Woo is #15 starting on the JV basketball team.

She’s been playing for six years and wants to continue through high school. “I like basketball because it keeps me in shape and I get to meet lots of other players, but the best part is bonding with my team.” Aside from school and basketball, she is the freshman class president and plays Amateur Athletic Union competitive basketball. Woo enjoys watching NBA games on TV and says, “Watching what they do makes me a better player.” When asked about what she’s learned from basketball, she answered, “Hard work gets you places.”

Sophomore James Lau will be on playing on the tennis team this spring. His goal is to make doubles varsity. Lau started taking lessons in third grade with his older sister and has kept it up ever since. He says, “Tennis is an intense game that gives you a big adrenaline rush.” He likes playing singles (over doubles), and does his best when his friends come to matches to cheer him on. He shout-outs, “John Lee (Lau’s fan) inspires me to play tennis better.”

Lau’s other interests include eating, sleeping, and playing Rock Band.

Junior Sarah Dutchover plays keeper for the JV soccer team and on a Jack London League team in Oakland. Her favorite part about league soccer is the tournaments.

Her favorite memory was her club team’s under-dog win in an Auburn tournament. “There’s nothing like my team, [they’re] like my sisters.”

Dutchover likes soccer for the challenge. “It’s simple, but difficult to play.” Apparently soccer is no challenge to her with a personal record of about 40 deflected balls in one championship game. Dutchover has a soccer career of 11 years and “friendships for a lifetime” from her team.

Senior Eric Chea is on the JV swim team. His events are 100 meter breast stroke and freestyle with a best time of 58 seconds. He started swimming competitively sophomore year and does it now for enjoyment.

“I don’t care about my times. I do it to stay in shape and have fun,” replied Chea when asked what his goals were for the next season. He swims partly for the team. “We support and cheer each other on during races,” said Chea. Other than swimming, Chea enjoys playing guitar, running cross country and watching movies.

Teachers’ marriages face legal challenge PROP 8: Page 1

in the campaign, she “didn’t think there was any way it could pass.”

English teacher Amanda Staab also thought the measure would lose. “I took it for granted that it wouldn’t pass,” she said. “It was a blow. I wasn’t really expecting that.”

It was a close call; Prop. 8 passed with 52 percent support.

“I

feel that p e o p l e a re using their religion as a disguise for hate.

Melissa Kindelspire Science Teacher

”

The campaigns for and against Prop. 8 went on for months before Election Day. Television ads appeared on both sides of the issue.

“It was all lies. I could not believe they won on lies and fear,” said social studies teacher Roger Kim, who was also married while gay marriage was legal, about the Yes on 8 television ads. “It pissed me off every time I saw one… I wanted to throw shoes at my TV.” Kim campaigned extensively against Prop. 8. He participated in phone banks, sent emails, went to door-to-door events, gave donations to the campaign, held a donation party, and even put No on 8 on his wedding registry.

“I lived and breathed No on 8 for those few months,” said Kim. As for those who supported Prop.

8, Kim said, “I respect their beliefs, but when their beliefs infringe on my rights, that’s not okay.”

When Prop. 8 passed despite his best efforts to defeat it, he said he wondered, “Was that for nothing?”

The campaign was arduous and brought up a number of complicated issues.

The idea of family came up as an issue during the campaign, with many Prop. 8 supporters claiming that Prop. 8 would protect both the ideas of marriage and family.

Staab, who is pregnant with her first child, said, “It makes me feel that they want to invalidate gay families. Gay families have existed for a long time. We’re going to continue to exist,” she said.

“They’re not protecting families,” Kindelspire agreed. “We have families too, and if they really believe in the family unit, they’ll let us get married.”

Religion also played a role in the campaign, and many Prop.

8 opponents feel that religious beliefs are the reason Prop. 8 passed.

“In my eyes, God isn’t discriminatory and hateful,” said Staab about the use of religion in the campaign. “I feel that people are using their religion as a disguise for hate. They’re using their religion to mask discrimination and it’s not even a really good mask.”

According to Staab, the arguments for Prop. 8 were “nonsensical.”

None of the couples that were married while gay marriage was legal have received any notification regarding the status of their marriages. A hope exists that the marriages that already exist will still be recognized, even if the state permits no more gay couples to wed. Sutton said that if her marriage to Kindelspire is revoked, “It’ll just be another battle scar.”

Although it won’t change the commitment any of the couples

Malena Bell / Editor-in-Chief

Teachers Jo Sutton and Melissa Kindelspire display their wedding rings over the marriage license they received last October. have, Kindelspire said, “It’s this added layer of angst that heterosexual couples don’t have to deal with.”

The legal issues of gay couples

“ How can-

people have a general vote to take away my rights?

Jo Sutton Art Teacher

”

are numerous; for example, married couples have to file joint state taxes but separate federal ones.

Staab, who got a civil union

to her partner six years ago, had a wedding ceremony four years ago, and got legally married last summer, asked, “How many more times are we going to have to get married?”

That answer may be coming.

On behalf of gay couples, the American Civil Liberties Union filed a writ petition to the California Supreme Court that challenged the legality of Prop. 8. Attorney General Jerry Brown and multiple California cities and counties have also challenged the measure. They argue that Prop. 8 is not an amendment, but a revision to the Constitution because it “makes far-reaching changes to the nature of our basic governmental plan by severely compromising the core constitutional principal of equal protection of the laws, depriving a vulnerable minority of fundamental rights.”

The court will hear arguments

on March 5 and issue a decision within 90 days.

According to Magda, this type of proposition should not be passed through the initiative process. “I think it’s wrong for 51 percent of the population to vote on the rights of a minority,” she said.

“How can people have a general vote to take away my rights?” asked Sutton. “History’s made it clear that separate isn’t equal.”

Magda also said that if the case succeeds and the Supreme Court invalidates Prop. 8, “It wouldn’t only protect me and my marriage. It would protect everyone from this happening again.”

These teachers are all hopeful that eventually, gay marriage will be accepted. “(Prop. 8) is discrimination,” said Staab. “And eventually everybody’s going to see that.”

purchase ASB stickers, which cost $35.

The ASB budget provides for many activities at the high school, including athletics and assemblies. A large portion of the budget comes from ASB sticker sales. The ASB budget cuts are not related to state budget woes because the group’s funds are raised entirely by students, and spent by students.

“We’ll cut back but we’ve always had a plentiful budget,” said Munsell. “We’re not in horrible shape.”

The ASB will have to cut back on spending, but Munsell assures that the cuts will be in areas behind the scenes where students will not notice the difference. In

addition to cuts to the athletics funds, there will be no money put aside for leadership conferences and additional leadership office supplies.

Activity director Carmelina Frasca said that leadership students decide on the ASB budget and that the activity directors make recommendations to them based on what worked in the past.

“Last year we had a ton of money but this year’s [budget deficit] is due to the economic issues of the whole country,” Frasca said.

As of now, leadership does not plan to raise the price of admission to dances. The steps the

ASB faces budget deficit

By Eva Poon News Editor

Last year was definitely not a good year for the American economy, and the Associated Student Body budget is another one of the victims in the financial turmoil. Lackluster sales of activity stickers this school year are responsible for a substantial drop in the ASB budget. Sales from the stickers only amounted to $17,000 this year, instead of $34,000 as anticipated.

“The budget is definitely down,” commented activity director Robin Munsell. She said that the general economic slowdown has influenced the number of students who would otherwise

ASB: Page 8

Student recovers from harrowing accident

District to cut budget

DISTRICT: Page 1

ninth in the United States in terms of per pupil spending in 2008, spending $652 less than the national average.

Not only has the spending freeze affected the community and the schools, the district-wide spending freeze has affected all Castro Valley teachers with the Castro Valley Teachers Association, which proposed suspending negotiations for their salaries between the district until June 2010.

With the spending freeze affecting CVUSD, Alvarez wants to focus on coming closer as a

community and respecting the campus, as well as each other, with zero tolerance for fighting and racial or homophobic slurs, and maintaining CVHS as a highachieving school academically.

“We need to positively realize what a special community we are. These times are also an opportunity for us all to come together as a school community,” said Alvarez. “While I know that the next two school years will be extremely difficult financially, I want to assure you that we will continue to provide the best possible education to all students.”

ASB plans to make up for deficit

ASB: Page 7

Alexandra Gomes / Sports Editor

Sophomore Joshua Kim is recovering from his injuries at Eden Medical Center.

By Alexandra Gomes Sports Editor

Shortly after 6:45 in the morning on Thursday, Jan. 15, sophomore Joshua Kim was struck by a car driven by a Castro Valley resident in a 2000 Honda and received major injuries to his head, shoulder, and leg.

Kim was walking to school early that morning, while it was still moderately dark out, and was crossing the street at the intersection of Redwood Road and Mabel Avenue. The man was driving in the right lane at

“ I’m lucky. It

could have been much worse.

Joshua Kim Sophomore

”

approximately 30 to 35 miles per hour, within the speed limit on Redwood Road, when he hit Kim. He did not flee the scene.

“I don’t remember much about it,” said Kim about a week after the accident. “I just know what my mom told me about the accident.”

Kim’s injuries include a broken right leg and shoulder, a small fracture on his nose, a concussion, and other smaller scrapes. Luckily, Kim expects to make a full recovery.

Kim had to go through major surgery twice on his right leg and once on his right shoulder.

He also required a skin graft on his leg, which is frequently needed after major injuries and will have another surgery on his shoulder in the next couple of months.

“I’m lucky,” said Kim with a smile. “It could have been worse.”

As of now, Kim is doing well and on his way to recovery. It

will, however, be a while before he comes back to school. He will be absent from CVHS for the rest of the semester, but will hopefully be back for his junior year.

Kim will receive tutoring during his absence so he can keep up with school.

There is now discussion about putting in a stoplight at the Redwood Road and Mabel Avenue intersection in hopes of preventing future accidents. This may also help regulate the flow of traffic at the intersection.

“I know we’re all in high school, but we still have to look both ways before crossing the

street,” said school resource officer Timothy Vales, who was present at the scene after the accident.

Kim is frequently visited by people in his hospital room at Eden Medical Center and looks forward to anyone that comes to see him. His room is filled with cards given to him by his friends, family, and classmates.

“I’m going to miss so much at school,” said Kim. “But at least I [got] to skip finals.”

The Honda received major damage including a broken windshield and a severely dented bumper, hood, and roof.

ASB is taking to raise money include charging admission to the annual dodgeball tournament final to be held at night in April.

They want to encourage more students to buy activity stickers and have plans to charge athletes for the varsity block letters they earn if they did not buy ASB stickers.

“Only 18 percent of students buy ASB stickers. [Varsity athletes] are going to have to pay for stuff that pays for their programs,” said athletic director Marie Gray about the varsity letter plan.

Gray did not seem especially fazed by the issue.

“We already cut $16,000 out of the budget,” she said. She noted that the sports teams pay for a lot of their expenses through fundraising. “They’ll have to raise more money. Not everyone likes

to fund-raise but they’ll have to do it.”

“It’s troublesome but necessary if we’re going to do it,” said junior Josh Valladares, who is a CVHS wrestler, about more team fundraising.

The ASB budget provides for the 20 athletic teams at the high school. Gray said that the teams will have to rely more on athletic boosters but they have already “cut out the fluff,” like motivational videos and additional workout equipment.

Some teams, like basketball and softball, have higher budget deficits simply because they require more new equipment per game.

“The coaches have done a good job stockpiling equipment in the good years and being frugal always helps,” she noted. “We have to be proactive, certainly this year.”